Poultry-coop.



F. T. WING. POULTRY COOP. APPLIGATLON FILED JUNE 21, 1907..

Patented Dee. 1,1908.

1HE NoRRls PETERS :oh wAsmNcrUN, n, c.

L'UNITED sTATns FREDERICK T. WING, OELINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

roULTRY-ooor. i

Application filed June 21 To all whom 'it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, FREDERICK T. VING, a

. citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county `of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in kPoultry-Coops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a folding poultry coop, whereby chickens andl otherv poultry can be readily shipped to market and the empty coop or crate returned without taking up muchspace, thereby reducing the cost of expressage or transportation.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction and operation of devices of this character so as tol be comparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture and so designed that the parts can beset up or knocked down with great facility and despatch. v

A further object of the invention is the provision of a coop, crate or the like having a fiat bottom on which are hingedlyanounted end frames that are connected together so that both can be held normally in upright position or folded down, lone inwardly over the bottom and the other outwardly, locking devices being provided for holding the parts normally set up.

lVith these objects in view and others, as will appear as the 'description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forthwith particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates onev of the embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the poultry coop with the parts in normalposition. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the coop in knockdown position. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of one of the locking devices. Fig. 4L is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of coop. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view showing the parts of one of the locking devices.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing1 designates the bottom plate or board of the coop or crate on which are hingedly mounted rectangular end frames designated generally by 2, the bottom bars 3 of the frame being connected to the bottom 1 by staples 4 which permit of Specification of Letters Patenti Patented Dee. 1, 1908.

, 1907. serial No. 380,155.

Aa. swinging movement of the end frames. These transversely extending end frames are constructed of a metal bar bent into the required shape. Between the top and bottom horizontal bars 5 and 3 of each frame is a middle horizontal bar 6 rigidly secured at its ends to the vertical bar portions 7. rlhe end frames are connected together by a horizontal rectangular frame designated generally by 8, there being arranged at its corners short strips 9 that are formed into eyes 10 that engage around the intermediate cross bars 6, whereby the vertical end frames are hingedly connected with the horizontal connecting frame. By means of the frame 8, the end frames can be supported in upright position and one braced by the other and when the crate or coop is knocked down, one end frame swings outwardly from the bottom 1 and the other inwardly over the bottom, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In order to hold the parts of the device in set-up position, locking devices are provided for permitting relative movement between 'the end frames and horizontal connecting frame. For this purpose, bracing members 11 are hingedly connected with the top cross bars 5 and are provided with rings 12 at their inner extremities that engage around the side members or bars 13 of the frame S so as t0 have a sliding engagement therein. Each `side bar 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, has a recess 14 forming a seat for receiving the terminal ring of the bracing or locking member 11. The rings 12 are engaged in the recesses or seats 14 when the crate is set up and the parts are held engaged by reason of y an. upward tension of the side bars 13 of the frame S. In other words, the rings 12 are engaged with the notches or recesses 14 by springing the side bars 13 downwardly and the locking members 11 hold the said side bars in sprung position.

Any suitable means may be employed for closing the sides, ends and top of the crate or coop, and by preference, a wire netting 15 may be employed 'for the top at least or on the sides and ends. In the present instance, the sides and ends are closed by wire ribbons or the like 16, which arrangement readily permits of the crate or coop being set up or knocked down. In the top is an opening 17" which can be closed by means of a wire or other door 18. A crate of the form `described is of strong and durable construction a-nd can be easily folded or un- ITT? folded and all the parts are connected together to form a single and unitary structure.

Referring to vthe modilication shown in Fig. 4t, the sides are closed by vertical wires 17 which are secured at their ends to the bottom 1 by staples 1S, and they extend from one side of the coop to the other so as to close the top thereof. The end frames 2 are connected together; by rods 19 and the wires 17 pass over these rods and are secu-red thereto by eyes 20 or equivalent means, and extending between and connected with the end frames 2 is a horizontal frame 8 coperating with braces 11 in the same manner described in connection with Fig. 1, so as to hold the parts of the coop in set-up position. In this construction the parts of the coop fold down on the bottom 1 in the same manner as in the coop shown in F ig. 1.

F rom the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and ot the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired, as are within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of a bottom, hingedly mounted end frames thereon, members eX- tending from one frame to the other and hingedly connected with the frames, a brace between each frame and one member, means for slidably connecting the braces with the members, and means for fastening the braces to the members for holding the end trames 1 in upright position.

2. The combination of a bottom, end

frames mounted thereon, members extending from one 'trame to the other, means for connecting the members to the trames at points between the top and bottom of the latter, a bracing member hingedly connected with each trame, and means on the bracing members slidably engaging the members, said members being provided with notches `lor receiving the said means to lock the trames in upright position.

3. The combination of a bottom, swinging frames thereon, members hingedly connected with the frames, braces connected with the frames, and rings on the braces tor slid.- ably connecting the latter with the members, said members haring recesses at points intermediate the ends thereof tor receiving the rings when the end 'frames are in upright position.

el. The combination ot a bottom, rectangular end frames, staples mom'iting the trames to swing on the said bottoms, a horizontal frame disposed between the end iframes, means tor hingedly connecting the horizontal frame with the end tran'ies, braces hingedly connected with the top portions o't` the end frames, means t'or slidably connecting the braces with the side portions ot the horizontal frame, and means on the said side portions for engaging the said means to hold the end trames in npright position.

5. The combination ot a` bottom, rectangular frames hingedly mounted thereon and disposed in parallel relation, horizontal bars on the frames, a horizontal rectangular frame disposed between the tirst-mentioned trames, hinges between the horizontal trame and said bars, and the locking devices between each end trame and horizontal trame, with means attached to the end trames and cooperating with the bottom to term an inclosure.

In testimony whereof, l atlix my signat'nre in presence of two witnesses.

Vitnesses Vif, H. IVALnnn, l). F. GREENE. 

